NEW YORK – Starting on Thursday, March 20 the Columbia fencing team will compete in the 2014 NCAA National Championship, hosted by Ohio State University. Ten fencers will represent Columbia, two short of the maximum allowed by the NCAA.

Each fencer will have a five-touch bout against each of the 23 fencers in his or her weapon throughout the tournament. The four winningest fencers in each weapon will then head into a bracket of 15-touch bouts to decide medal winners. Each win (excluding those in the medal round) counts toward his or her team's total. The maximum score any school can get is 282.

Each individual victory counts as a point for the team. The NCAA championship is a shared title, so men’s and women’s points both count toward one team.

SETTING THE SCENE "Our fencers are more than ready for this competition." said Columbia fencing coach Michael Aufrichtig. "They are excited to represent Columbia over the next four days."

The Lions had a solid showing at the Northeast Regional competition on Sunday, March 9. Columbia sent 19 fencers and qualified ten with one alternate.

The Lions had a very strong year highlighted with an Ivy League title for the men and a third place finish for the ladies.

The Ivy League produced 53 of the 144 fencers at this year’s championships, more than any other single conference.

FOLLOW THE ACTIONThe NCAA will be providing live results throughout the competition.

ESPN3 will be airing the semifinal and championship bouts live on Friday and Sunday. This can be accessed at www.watchespn.com. A highlight show of the 2014 Fencing Championships will air on ESPNU at 8 p.m. on April 1.